About Me

My name is Maribel. I have two wonderful children and a strong faith. I am also a survivor of depression. I want to share my stories and feelings with everyone in the hopes of removing some of the stigma associated with this disease. You are not weak, you are not crazy. It is not a feeling that you can just wish would go away; it is a struggle from day to day. Some days are good, some days are great, other times everything around you seems bleak. The good news is that there is hope, and depression can be controlled. Thank you for visiting my page. I hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts. At times you will find my posts to be educational and uplifting. Other times I am sure they will be raw and personal. My hope is that you will travel this road with me as we continue to explore what is in store for us in this journey called life.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Afraid to Live?

Fear. The word itself connotes worry and concern. We have
all feared something or someone.
Whether it’s another human being, an illness, a decision, or commitment
we have at one time or another experienced that uneasy feeling up and down our
spine. And you know what? It is perfectly okay to be afraid! Many people hold fear as being synonymous with weakness. I
couldn’t disagree more! Fear is an emotion that leads to action. You might be
thinking, “No way! Fear makes me freeze in my tracks!” The fact of the matter
is that either way we must take action: freeze and turn around, or face the
fear and trudge forward. According to www.psychologytoday.com,
“Fear is a vital
response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn't feel it, we couldn't
protect ourselves from legitimate threats.” Too often, however, we protect
ourselves so much that we end up giving in to our fear. Let me be candid with you and share some of my fears. Because of an
incident when I was around 4 years old, I fear black hairy spiders (one crawled
down my arm)! I am slightly claustrophobic (I don’t like feeling trapped). I
dislike speeding in cars and driving over bridges. I absolutely have a fear of
heights. And, I definitely fear something bad happening to my children.

To a certain extent I have faced some of the fears I listed. One of my
proudest moments was climbing a very tall ladder and swinging on a flying
trapeze. I was literally paralyzed with fear in the beginning, but it got a
little less intimidating each time I climbed. Am I still afraid of heights?
Certainly! However, each time it gets a little easier. I constantly pray to God
to watch over and protect my children. Do I still worry about them? Of course,
but I don’t let it consume my thoughts. What I’m trying to say is that fear used to hold me back from living. It
was safer to stay in my comfort zone. If I tried, I might experience failure.
If I loved, it would hurt. I was afraid to be happy. I had many goals and dreams, but fear kept me
from attempting to accomplish them. Remember I said fear is an emotion that
leads to action? Well it was that same fear that prompted me to change: fear of
the hopeless routines, fear of missing out on all of the beautiful things life
has to offer. And most of all, fear of living an insignificant life. God placed each and every one of us on this earth with a unique purpose
to serve. Some live a majestic life of record-breaking achievements, others enjoy
the thrill of being financially secure, and yet others enjoy the reward of
having a loving family life. While it is perfectly normal to be afraid, we should
never allow fear to hold us back from embracing God’s purpose for us. We are
not here to merely exist, we are here to live!

1 comment:

EXCELLENT RIGHTING MARIBEL, KEEP FOLLOWING GOD AND THERE WILL BE NO FEAR!! FEAR USUALLY COMES WHE YOU HAVE NO DETERMINATION OR ENCOURAGEMENT. FEAR WILL MAKE YOU FAIL, CONFIDENCE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH!!! HAVE FAITH IN GOD!! BE BLESSED MARIBEL!!! PASTOR BILL